1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cleaning apparatuses for providing and controlling flow and mixture of a liquid and an agent. More particularly, the invention relates to a soap dispensing apparatus connectable to a water supply source and operable to provide a flow of water and control mixing thereof with an internally-stored supply of a cleaning agent.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is sometimes desirable to introduce a cleaning agent, such as soap, into a flow of water, as, for example, when washing a vehicle. Typically, this is accomplished using a soap dispensing system comprising a soap reservoir coupled to a water supply such that the water, as it flows, mixes with soap stored in the reservoir.
Those with ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many existing soap dispensing systems inconveniently require that the soap dispenser be disconnected when no soap is desired, as when rinsing. Further, many existing systems do not allow for flow rate control, and are designed such that soap is dispensed or mixed into the water flow at such a high rate that the soap reservoir is quickly depleted. Those that do provide flow control typically use complicated and expensive knob- or lever-actuated internal valves prone to wear and breakage.
Due to the above identified and other problems in the art, a need exists for an improved soap dispensing apparatus providing more efficient and convenient control of delivery and mixture of a liquid, such as water, and an agent, such as soap.
The soap dispenser of the present invention overcomes the problems in the art to provide a simple, efficient, and convenient apparatus for providing and controlling flow and mixture of a liquid, such as water, and an agent or media, such as soap, useful in various applications, including, for example, cleaning a vehicle or other object or surface. The preferred soap dispenser broadly comprises a grip and a body in a rotatably coupled relationship, with the body providing or defining an internal soap reservoir. A first grip end of the cylindrical grip is adapted to connect to a water supply source, such as a common garden hose. A second grip end is operable to couple with the body so as to be rotatable in relation thereto. The second grip end provides a first control surface having a flow channel comprising a plurality of grooves. The body is also cylindrical, and provides a second control surface having a single large orifice and plurality of flow holes, each of which is rotatably alignable with the channel and grooves of the first control surface. Thus, the grip, control surfaces, and body combine to provide a plurality of rotatably selectable flow paths for controlling the flow rate and mixture of water and soap.
The novel use of rotatably alignable control surfaces for providing a plurality of selectable flowpaths provides a convenient flow and mixture control mechanism with numerous advantages over the existing art. For example, in contrast to the knob- and lever-actuated valve systems of the existing art, the present invention requires only one moving part. Thus, the present invention provides a simpler, less costly and easier to use soap dispenser than was previously available.
These and other important aspects of the present invention are more fully described in the section entitled DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT, below.